Once outside the temple, Sakolomeh let out a slight sigh as he spotted the poachers' cars parked near the ruins.
It was obvious that they had not planned to leave empty-handed.
But that no longer really concerned him.
In any case… all of this would eventually disappear.
He raised his eyes to the sky.
If he had entered that temple, it had been almost by chance. He had simply paused his search on the Nemesis system for a moment, and his steps had led him here.
According to him, one thing remained clear:
an entity had to be behind all this.
But there was no hurry.
Not for now.
A huge tournament was taking place right in the city of Gu-HoiT, and the winner would have the honor — or the madness — of facing the legendary Mo-Zus.
Sakolomeh gave a faint smile.
For him, time was never really a constraint.
Everything already seemed accomplished in a certain way.
He turned on his heel.
Destination: Gu-HoiT.
The city of Gu-HoiT was in full swing.
The atmosphere resembled that of a gigantic festival.
The tournament was drawing immense crowds who had come to witness the evolution of Nemesis system users. Among the participants were many high-level fighters, notably ranks A and S.
In other words, the spectacle promised to be impressive.
But they all had the same goal:
to defeat the Great Mo-Zus.
To obtain his recognition… and gain glory in the eyes of the world.
The arena itself was spectacular.
An immense island-shaped platform floated in the middle of a body of water. All around it, gigantic stands held thousands of spectators.
The distance had been carefully calculated.
Thus, even the most devastating attacks would not be able to reach the crowd.
In the stands, Mayohi was seated with a soda in one hand and a large bucket of popcorn in the other.
She was waiting eagerly.
At her side were Bakuran and Sally.
Mayohi leaned slightly toward them.
— I really hope Hinata makes it through against all those fighters!
Sally replied calmly:
— If you want my opinion… Hinata's opponents are the ones who should be worried.
She crossed her arms.
— Unlike the others, she doesn't even use the Nemesis system. She fights with her own magic, the one she has been learning for some time. True, she only recently became an Evolution Super Mortal… but that should be more than enough.
Mayohi stared at Sally for a moment… then nodded with conviction.
— In any case, I trust her!
Sally gave a slight nod before turning her gaze toward the still-empty arena.
A thought crossed her mind.
The first time she had met Hinata was when Sakolomeh had introduced her to her.
He had simply said that he had raised her… in another universe.
At the time, Sally had been deeply troubled.
She had thought that Sakolomeh had had a child with another woman.
Admittedly, she herself was dead at that time, and if that had been true… she probably would not have had the right to reproach him for it.
But even so…
She would not have been able to accept it.
Fortunately, reality was different.
The relationship between Sakolomeh and Hinata went far beyond that of a simple brother and sister.
Sakolomeh was, in truth, the adoptive father of that girl.
Even if he insisted on playing the role of an older brother, Hinata deeply considered him her father.
Sally raised her eyes to the sky, watching the clouds pass slowly by.
A strange idea crossed her mind.
If I marry Sakolomeh…
Will Hinata become my daughter?
She blinked.
No… that would be weird.
Then she gave a slight smile.
But… that wouldn't be so bad either.
— Hey… what are you doing?
Bakuran's voice suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts.
Sally turned her head toward him.
— Oh… nothing, she replied. I was just thinking a little.
Bakuran looked at her for a few seconds before shrugging.
— You looked super deep in thought. It was weird.
In the arena, the first doors were beginning to open.
The tournament was about to begin.
The massive doors of the arena vibrated slowly.
A dull rumble ran through the entire structure, echoing even into the stands where the crowd held its breath. Then, in a flash of light, the first gates opened.
One by one, the fighters entered.
Some walked forward confidently, surrounded by visible auras, Nemesis system users whose mere presence made the air tremble. Others remained more discreet, but their eyes betrayed a sharp determination.
The cheers rose at once.
— WOOOOOOOH !!!
— IT'S THEM!! THE RANK A !!
— LOOK AT HIM, HE'S AN S !!
The arena vibrated. The water around it reflected the lights, giving the scene an almost unreal air.
In the stands, Mayohi jumped slightly from her seat, eyes shining.
— It's starting!!
Bakuran folded his arms, watching the participants carefully.
— Not bad… there's some level here.
Sally, for her part, remained silent. Her gaze swept the arena, searching for one person alone.
Then…
A new door opened.
Unlike the other spectacular entrances, there was neither an explosion of energy nor a display of power.
Just one step.
Then another.
Hinata entered the arena.
Calm.
Silent.
Her body still bore the traces of her training — the sweat, the bandages wrapped tightly around her hands… and that visible scar on her abdomen, like a mute testimony to what she had already been through.
Her eyes, meanwhile, were fixed.
Clear.
Unshakable.
For a brief moment…
The crowd fell silent.
As if something, without their being able to explain it, had just changed.
Then the murmurs resumed.
— Who is she?
— She's not listed in the Nemesis system favorites…
— A beginner?
In the stands, Mayohi suddenly stood up and raised her arm.
— HINATAAAAA !!
She clapped enthusiastically, breaking the surrounding doubt.
— GO HINATA !!
Sally gave a slight smile.
— They still don't understand…
Bakuran looked at Hinata with more attention.
— …Yeah. But they'll understand soon enough.
Hinata herself had not even looked up toward the stands.
She simply walked forward, taking her place among the other fighters.
As if all of this… had no importance whatsoever.
A gradual silence settled in.
Then a silhouette appeared at the center of the arena.
The referee.
His voice, amplified, resonated throughout the stadium.
— Ladies and gentlemen… thank you all for being here today!
The crowd answered with a tremendous roar.
— WOOOOOOOOOOO !!!
— Today we welcome fighters from all walks of life! Nemesis system users… and other exceptional talents!
A slight gesture of the hand.
Silence returned.
— Before we begin, I will remind you of the rules.
His tone became stricter.
— First rule: killing is strictly forbidden.
A murmur passed through the fighters.
— Any attempt at murder will result in immediate disqualification… or even outside intervention.
Pause.
— Second rule: a fighter is considered defeated if they are thrown out of the arena… or if they give up.
The referee swept the arena with his gaze.
— Third rule…
A slight smile appeared on his face.
— Everything else is allowed.
The crowd exploded.
— WOOOOOOOH !!!
— DESTROY EACH OTHER !!
— MAKE US DREAM !!
— You may use all your abilities, all your strategies, all your resources…
His gaze grew sharper.
— Because today…
He raised his arm.
— It is a Battle Royale.
A silence of absolute tension fell.
Even the wind seemed to have stopped.
The fighters were already staring at one another.
Some stepped back slightly.
Others smiled.
Hinata… did not move.
— The last one still standing…
The referee's voice rang out one final time.
— …will have the right to face the Great Mo-Zus.
One beat.
Then—
— LET THE FIGHT BEGIN !!